Can Anything Go With 4 Convict Cichlids?

[SamThaFishMan]

Hi I'm new to forum and new to cichlids (today being first for both) but am very experienced in just about all other freshwater tropical fish and invertibrates. I have decided to start a cichlid tank and got 4 convict cichlids for my 40 gallon tank. I want to know if there are any other fish I can put with them primarily other cichlids, and if not cichlids is there anything else? I will also want atleast a couple of bottom scavengers to grab whatever the convicts don't eat. I don't like putting pleco's into anything smaller than a 75 G tank due to their tremendous size. Would corycat's work with these? And if not is there any other scavengers to go with them? I have bunches of snails so they'll clean off the glass good, but my tank has sand and snails don't move well in sand so they lack when comes to cleaning any leftover food on substrate. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Dave Ehl]

welcome to tff. i think you'll have problems putting anything else in the tank unless the cons are all males or all females. when they breed, they have a nasty habit of killing everything in their tank. there are smaller plecs that would work great as scavengers. there are a few species that don't grow past 8inches. i don't think cories would work because they could probably be swallowed. just in case you were wondering how you tell if cons are male or female, the females bellies are red.

 

[SamThaFishMan]

welcome to tff. i think you'll have problems putting anything else in the tank unless the cons are all males or all females. when they breed, they have a nasty habit of killing everything in their tank. there are smaller plecs that would work great as scavengers. there are a few species that don't grow past 8inches. i don't think cories would work because they could probably be swallowed. just in case you were wondering how you tell if cons are male or female, the females bellies are red.

Yeah I picked them out so would be 2 males and 2 females. I'm sold on the idea of allowing them to breed and do my best to ensure they can do it without too much stress. I think I'm going to throw out idea of scavenger so the fry won't be in danger of being eaten. So the snails will just have to do the best they can. Is it possible to allow 2 pairs to breed in the same tank? I am reading an article from a guy who did it back in 2000, but I have yet to see his tank size so not sure if would work for me. Should I get rid of 2 once a pair forms or can I try to allow both to pair up and mate? If anyone has any information on breeding these little guys I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks.

 

[Jim Curtis]

"Can Anything Go With 4 Convict Cichlids? "

Depends on what they were convicted of.

 

[Dave Ehl]

that was below the belt jim. i've read that a pair of convicts control a territory up to 10 feet in the wild. you'd be better off rehoming two of them after two have formed a pair. otherwise, the pair will rehome them for you. this will also give you more freedom to add more fish. wait until the cons pick their breeding spot and isolate that section of the tank with heavy planting or anything that will break the line of sight with the rest of the tank. then you can try adding more fish.

 

[shelaghfishface]

i had my convicts in with my oscar (jambo) and a plec.. as soon as they bred they had the oscar quivering in the corner, so i rehomed them, as lovely as they are they are very aggressive at breeding time, so i wouldnt have them again for that reason, but im sure there are fish that can go with them-just dont know which ones

 

[Mr Bliss]

but im sure there are fish that can go with them-just dont know which ones

A full grown pacu maybe.

Seriously though, 4 convicts isn't a good idea. As soon as a pair forms, the other two convicts will meet a quick and violent end.

The only fish I'd keep with them are a large pleco (he'll need places to hide too or they'll batter him!) and some large-ish, robust, shoaling fish (preferably ones that are fast!). I once tried a shoal of tiger barbs; not a good idea. The vertical stripes made the convicts go mental.